Further thoughts re young Edward.
There are actually two entries for him in the 1911 census - one in Guernsey with wife and daughter (see post # 13) and another with his army unit based at Fort George, Channel Islands. RG14/34998 SN9999. In both entries his birth place is given as county Wexford, though the place names differ. (My Irish geography is lousy, so I don't know how near or far the two places are from each other. Possibly the one in the army entry is the birthplace he gave when he enrolled.)
So unless his father joined the US military after young Edward was born, why would the US military be in Ireland in 1878? There again, was young Edward born in the US to an Irish mother/American father, father died or parents split and mother went back to Ireland when Edward was very young so he grew up believing he was born in Ireland? Think a detailed look for birth registrations/baptism entries for Edward Wildes circa 1878 is called for. Even if it does involve a visit to the Irish Archives. (It would solve Terry's 'where will I go to for my holiday this year' problem. )

Pam